Project: Runway

Who needs Milan and Paris to know what's hip these days? The hottest trend in arts and crafts is bringing the fashion scene right into young girls' homes—and hands.

Gaining momentum with tweens across the country, do-it-yourself kits encourage girls to get creative by designing their own jewelry, decorating their rooms and adding some extra flash to everyday fashions. And when they stand back and take a look at what they've made—or better yet, wear it themselves or give it to their friends as a gift—it's smiles all around.

As crafts manufacturers have learned, self-expression is essential to one's art, and takes on even more emphasis when a girl grows into an image-conscious tween looking to assert her individuality.

"These types of craft kits are popular because girls enjoy making things that they can then wear," says Phyllis Brody, co-founder, and Mary Kezele, product development director, Creativity for Kids, Cleveland. "There's that great sense of accomplishment that comes from making something yourself, and then when people comment on it, the pride that comes from saying 'I made it.'"

Aiming to appeal to the do-it-yourself (DIY) artist, the company will be introducing a number of kits this year, including: Fashion Sack, a drawstring bag that can be painted and adorned with embroidery accents; Shrinky Dinks Friends, Fashion & Fun, a fashionable take on the classic toy that girls can now turn into hair clips, jewelry and charms; and Gel Gems Jewelry, for transforming flower and butterfly shapes into wearable designs of beads, gels and elastics.

Sandra Smith of Roylco, Anderson, S.C., believes crafts kits are a way to attract more girls to and nurture their interest in the design fields. "They introduce a young person to the world of fashion design in a fun, hands-on way," she says. Projects can range from simple to complex, depending on their age and experience level—a plus for retailers looking to attract a varied customer base.

Roylco's foray into the design arena this year is marked by Fashion Designer Portfolio, a complete kit that contains all the necessary tools for the aspiring Carolina Herrera or Coco Chanel.

"Craft kits are so popular, because it's easy to get great results and what they make is actually cool enough to wear," says Nurit Amdur, CEO of Alex, Northvale, N.J. As a result, of the company's more than 125 new craft items, 22 are in one way or another fashion-related.

Highlights of the assortment include Jewelry Design Studio, Color & Carry Messenger Bag, Knot A Poncho and Knot A Scarf. The latter two products, Amdur says, are in response to the success of last year's popular Knot A Quilt kit. "These items utilize the same technique, but this time girls get to make wearable fashion accessories," she adds.

Also providing kids with means to create their own wearable art is Reading, Pa.-based Dimensions. "The kits are a fun and easy way to take any item from simple to chic, to create a look that is uniquely their own," explains sales manager Ann Shade.

This year, Dimensions will launch two crafting items: Savvy Stitches Embroidery Transfers, which lets girls colorfully embellish iron-on transfers, and Savvy Stitches Needlepoint Bracelets, a kit that allows those in need of some wrist glitz to stitch and finish their own cuff-style bracelets.

As with any consumer purchase, if it manages to appeal to both kids and their parents, there is even greater interest at retail.

Wendy Jo Moyer, marketing coordinator for Action Products International, Orlando, Fla., believes that's the true allure of prepared crafting kits. She says moms and dads particularly like her company's Curiosity Kits line "because they provide a fun learning experience that kids can do by themselves, since everything you need is included in the kits."

In 2007, Curiosity Kits will roll out four pre-made kits for fashion-minded crafters. With My Personal Pendant, girls will be able to decorate a silver chain necklace with various charms. For those who consider themselves "hip," they can personalize their chains with the Hip Hip Chain using beads and charms. Or, they can opt for the Savvy Sash & Jeweled Jeans, and design with jewels, paints and stencils. To complete this look, girls can accessorize the Natural Native Stone Necklace with unique extras, like a peacock feather or brightly colored beads.

Whichever product they choose, Moyer says the allure of self-expression is key to the success of this line-up. "Girls can feel pride in their accomplishment, express their originality and then show off their final projects by wearing them," she says.

With so much attention and emphasis devoted to the fashion industry in today's media, crafts manufacturers say it's hardly a coincidence that their products have become popular with children increasingly attuned to being stylish and standing out. Rather, several crafts companies closely follow consumer trends and also pay attention to what's happening in other areas of the crafting market.

According to Moyer, Action Products conducts ongoing research on fashion trends to inspire ideas for future products. "Our product development group continually studies trends in the adult craft market and works to bring them down to a children's ability for Curiosity Kits," she adds.

Amdur concurs, saying Alex's creative team always has their eyes on the fashion and design worlds and incorporates their findings into new products for kids.

Dimensions is confident that their products correlate with what's in style at retail. "Go to any juniors department," says Shade, "and you'll see jeans and other articles of clothing with embellishments, decorative stitching and more."

Creativity for Kids, too, says its new line emulates consumer buying patterns. "At the moment, the handmade look and printed textiles are both hot in fashion, and our Fashion Sack comes pre-printed with a pattern that fits this trend," say Brody and Kezele.

However, one manufacturer, Roylco, opts to stay away from fads and focuses instead on creating a product that will resonate with kids. "We strive to develop products through which children can learn while having fun," Roylco's Smith tells playthings.

Roylco's philosophy may also account for why it shies away from marketing licensed product. And, apparently, this company is not alone. A number of manufacturers told playthings that characters and other properties don't necessarily speak to the concept of originality or kit makers' goals of offering final products that are unique to each designer. Says Moyer of Curiosity Kits, "Our kits focus on art and crafting where the child is the hero. We do not need or use licensed characters to promote the brand, since crafts are all about the creator."

Alex's Amdur feels this may be the very reason why there isn't a tremendous amount of licensed crafts currently on the market. "Girls in this age group are more interested in expressing themselves and their own personalities and styles," she explains. "Our mission is to encourage this [type of] creativity and to let girls be who they want to be."

The folks at Creativity for Kids agree, and also see the impractical side of licensing these types of items. "Licensed products are tricky to do, especially for the tween market where trends appear and then disappear tricky. They also promote a particular character or property that can make the activity more prescribed than this age girl likes," say Brody and Kezele.

One company that has found success with licensed crafting is High IntenCity of Fair Lawn, N.J. Instead of producing pre-made tween kits, the company offers DIY charms that are assembled and designed in retail stores. According to marketing associate Jacquelyn Doran, the Charm It! interchangeable jewelry line lets girls customize a bracelet or necklace to represent their favorite hobbies, characters or other imagery.

This past winter, High IntenCity introduced charms inspired by Disney's High School Musical, Pirates of the Caribbean and Zoey 101. Charms from Hannah Montana and The Cheetah Girls are set to debut this coming spring.

Doran says these licensed items were a natural fit for the company because of the growing popularity of tween girl celebrity personalities. "Our charms allow girls to represent their current passions," she says.

Even with so much product innovation and attention to detail, crafts are not always an easy sell.

Brody and Kezele of Creativity for Kids note several factors that work against manufacturers: fashion changing from year to year—and even from region to region—so quickly that product can become dated; knock-off products of lesser quality that affect the overall category's image; and, last but not least, the continued consumer interest in electronics.

Amdur, Moyer and Smith all point to a crowded, competitive marketplace that keeps them on their toes to offer products that not only appeal to the masses, but that are unique enough to merit buyers' attention.

While designing noteworthy product is essential, business is only as good as its success at retail. A seasoned veteran in the toy industry, Idanna Smith, owner of Juggles, a specialty store in Wakefield, R.I., has been in business for 24 years. For her mixed clientele, comprised mainly of mid-income, summer tourists and, increasingly, grandparent New Englanders, the popularity of crafts is a growing trend. "Regardless of how we merchandise or bring in more non-fashion oriented crafts, the best sellers are still the hip and trendy," she tells playthings.

As evidence of this phenomenon, Smith says that Fashion Angels' Make-Up Studio Kit sold "extraordinarily well this season, and I thought it would be slower because parents would opt out of it," she explains. Both moms and kids readily bought the kit.

For any crafts to sell well in Juggles, Smith says they must be "relatively easy to accomplish, use the most popular color schemes and appeal to a more savvy, younger consumer." Her store hosts summer craft hours that highlight products that sell well, and she makes a point of having as many samples out for shoppers to preview as can fit on her shelves.

"This seems the best way to let the customer actually see what they will be able to make," she says. "Even with great packaging, customers still want to know what's inside and what it will make."